ABUJA (Xinhua) -- For Victor
Ikure, working as a train operator for the newly commissioned
light rail in Nigeria’s capital of Abuja is almost a dream come
true.

The 28-year-old Nigerian had a dream of playing an important
role in the growth of the transport sector in his country when
he bagged a degree in transport management technology from a
local college two years ago.

“Working here is a stepping stone for me, and it is taking me
closer to my dream,” said Ikure, who currently works at the
Abuja Metro Station, the hub of the light rail transportation
network commissioned on July 12.

He is one of more than 120 local people hired and trained to
manage Lot 1A and Lot 3 of the light rail that was completed in
December by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation
(CCECC).

Although he learned transport management technology in the
college, Ikure had neither operated a train before nor had basic
knowledge of how it worked until he was hired by the Chinese
firm and was trained by CCECC for two months before becoming a
train operator.

“I had the general knowledge and overview of road
transportation, but I never had the opportunity to learn about
the railway and use systems as complex as this,” he told Xinhua.

“It was when I joined CCECC that I got to learn so much here. I
never imagined that I could get a job here to work as a train
operator.”

Many others like Ikure now have the right exposure in their
areas of specialization, having got trained in various
departments of the train service, including signal and
communication, train driving and track maintenance.

The Chinese firm plans to hire and train at least 1,000 people
to work on the light rail network when it begins full operation
later, according to Yang Qiulin, an operation officer of the
CCECC in Abuja.

The 45-kilometer light rail commissioned is the first phase of
Abuja mass transit project which will have six lines or lots on
completion, with a total length of 290 kilometers, offering
intra-city shuttle service and connecting Abuja’s satellite
towns into the metropolitan transport.

Only three stations have been functional so far, though nine
others have been completed on the Lot 1A and Lot 3 parts of the
project, while the operators await more rolling stock from
China.

Abuja, with a population of 4 million, is a relatively new city
in Nigeria, but one of the fastest developing cities in Africa.

Since its commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari in July,
the light rail network has opened more opportunities to local
people.

Apart from providing job opportunities, local business operators
including commercial transport operators have begun to benefit
from the light rail construction.

It is also worthy of note that many more businesses may spring
up along the rail corridor sooner than expected.

Mustapha Malumbe, an assistant director in charge of rail
operations at the Federal Capital Territory Administration, told
Xinhua that an arrangement made by the authorities to
collaborate with transport investors had yielded a good result
and provided opportunities to local transporters.

Some of the local transporters have started benefitting from the
light rail operation already, Malumbe noted.

This has also helped in solving the issue about accessibility,
which earlier posed as a major challenge to the light rail
operation, he said.

“They have their buses or cars, and they come around to pick
passengers at the arrival of the train. The accessibility to the
station is not much of a problem for now because of this
arrangement,” Malumbe said, adding the light rail was designed
in a way that connects all parts of Abuja, unlocking business
opportunities in and around its 12 satellite towns.

“The construction of this light rail provides a lot of
opportunities. And we are even excited that its use will open up
new towns and boost economic activities along its corridor,”
Sheriff Adamu, a local taxi driver said.

Adamu said although he observed not too many passengers have
used the train so far, perhaps due to some technical challenges,
he has made new customers and his business has been better
because of it.

“As you can see, this Abuja Metro Station has a large car park
that can accommodate as many vehicles as possible. This is a
good business opportunity for us. In the future, we’ll have more
customers or passengers here than any other part of the Abuja
city,” he added.